Has anybody mixed a mali uromastyx with an egyptian uromastyx? I know that people have mixed ornate and mali uromastyx before because they have just about identical requirments and they get to be the same size. I know that the egyptian uromastyx gets much larger then the mali but I feel as if the uromastyx is a defender not an attacker. My mali whenever feeling threatened runs to any crevice and blocks it off with his tail showing me that he is not an aggressor. Will an egyptian uromastyx have this same temperament? I feel that these herbivore lizards would be fine sharing an enclosure together but maybe I am just being naive. What are everybody's thoughts and opinions on this subject? Also I got alot of cool pictures of my mali uromastyx tank and his custom rock wall, I also have a reef tank but i can't seem to get the pictures posted on here... stumped
Hi, Mixing species should never be considered for many reasons. Most reptiles are solitary animals and only meet for mating. To mix an egyptian with mali is asking for serious problems, apart from the size difference, they originate from different locales, so they would never meet, in real life. There is a serious health risk as well, they may carry various bacteria that they are immune to, but introduce them in a restricted confined area, the risk of cross infection is greatly increased. You say They may have been lucky so far and no apparent problems but the long term effects are not known. It simply isnt worth the risk Mixing the two would cause both of them severe stress, specially the mali, as the egyptian grows much faster. There is also the tank size to think of, an adult egyptian requires at least 6ftx3ft floor space for himself, not to share with a mali. The mali wouldn't last long, either attacked or stressed out. Some experts have mixed species but they all carefully matched and normally live in the same area. Unless you have a lot of experience, it should never be attempted. Basically dont mix different species it will end up in tears when one dies.
good point with the bacteria from different regions... like my own mini plague !!! Looks like my mali is going to have to get used to his personal cage!
Mixing species is never advisable for a variey of factors which bruno already covered. On top of everything else - the stress on the poor Mali would be unbelievablely stressed out at being housed with such a large lizard - it would be very taxing on his health and would ultimately lead to stress induced disease and probably death. Your Mali is definately better off in his own cage
